Forty-Nine

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Forty-Nine Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau, stock, and waste to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks are used (104 cards total).
• Tableau:
• Seven tableau columns are created.
• Each column is dealt seven cards face-up, forming a 7x7 grid (49 cards in total).
• All tableau cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in the tableau.
• Foundations:
• Eight foundation piles are positioned above the tableau.
• All foundation piles start empty.
• Stock:
• The remaining 55 cards (after the tableau is set) form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste:
• A single waste pile is used.
• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile; the top card of the waste is always available for play.
• Key Play Areas Defined:
• Tableau: The seven columns where the main play occurs.
• Foundations: The eight piles to be built up in suit.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn.
• Waste: The face-up pile where cards from the stock are placed and made available for play.

Forty-Nine Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Cards can be moved one at a time; group moves are only allowed when there are enough empty tableau columns to simulate a sequence of single-card moves (sometimes called "super-moves").
• Tableau Building:
• Build down in rank, regardless of suit (e.g., any 5 can be played on any 6).
• Only one card may be moved at a time, except for the aforementioned super-move scenario.
• Foundation Building:
• Build up in suit from Ace to King in each foundation pile (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠, etc.).
• Only Aces may start a foundation pile.
• Cards cannot be moved from the foundation back to the tableau or waste.
• Stock and Waste:
• Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste is always available for play to either the tableau or the foundations.
• There is only one pass through the stock; no redeals are permitted.
• Empty Spaces:
• Any card or valid sequence (when allowed by super-move logic) may fill an empty tableau column.

Gameplay:

• Sequence of Play:

1. Review the tableau for any available moves (building down regardless of suit).
2. Move eligible cards from the tableau to the foundations, following suit and ascending order.
3. Move cards between tableau columns, building down in rank regardless of suit.
4. When no more moves are available in the tableau, draw a card from the stock to the waste pile.
5. Play the top card of the waste to either the tableau or the foundations if possible.
6. Repeat until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

• Introducing New Cards:
• New cards enter play by drawing from the stock to the waste pile; only the top waste card is playable.
• No Legal Moves:
• If there are no legal moves and the stock is depleted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
• The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition:
• The game is lost if no further legal moves can be made and not all cards are in the foundations (i.e., cards remain in the tableau, waste, or stock).
• There is no redeal; once the stock is exhausted, no new cards can be introduced.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Columns:
• Any card or sequence (if super-move logic is used) may be placed in an empty tableau column.
• Sequence Moves:
• While only one card may be moved at a time, some implementations allow moving a sequence of cards as a single action if there are enough empty columns to facilitate the move as a series of single-card moves ("super-move" rule).
• No Redeal:
• The stock is dealt through only once; there are no redeals.
• Foundations Are Final:
• Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau or waste.
• Game Difficulty:
• The game is considered extremely challenging, with a very low win rate (approximately 1%).

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main play area with seven columns of seven face-up cards.
• Foundations: Eight piles to be built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn to the waste.
• Waste: The face-up pile where drawn cards from the stock are placed and made available for play.

This guide provides a precise and comprehensive overview of the unique gameplay mechanics and rules of Forty-Nine Solitaire.